Butterflies, Flower buds and Peonies: The Hairpin
by Post It Lover
Summary: Ch 2: They were to be her charm against misfortune, a reminder of his intentions and a symbol of his hope. It was ironic, however, that their current, precarious situation was due to five, red peony buds. Set during Hyejeong's (Mu's) reign, it features our lovers in a more peaceful time, when the relationship between So and Soo truly blossomed. Read and review please!
1. Chapter 1

Butterflies, Flower Buds and Peonies: Hae Soo's Hairpin

Butterfly: symbol of undying love, transformation, rebirth, freedom, hope, joy and warmth, beauty and elegance

This section of the story is set during Hyejeong (Wang Mu's) reign because I think this was the time when the relationship between So and Soo deepened and blossomed. Unfortunately, the time skip in the drama robbed us of any details regarding the progression of their relationship. I've also wondered how So gave the hairpin back to Soo considering he used it to propose to her, hence this fic. PLUS! They had Wook explain the meaning behind the Jade bracelet, even the color of the thread, while we were left to speculate on how the hairpin was returned to Soo and think about its meaning. I mean, So never does anything without reason. Yeah…I'm still bitter about the editing. I blame the editing and not the writing.

ANYWAY… The story is divided into three parts representing the three elements of the hairpin—the butterfly, the fully bloomed peony and what I am going to assume as peony buds (Soo was holding peony flowers for the promo pics and in Episode 20, the DF translation showed that Jung prepared peonies for her). Please enjoy and review! Constructive criticism is always welcome.

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 _Butterflies—_ fragile little creatures that could easily break at the slightest pressure, their delicate wings quick to tear at the smallest of touches. Everything about them, their whole existence, spoke of fragility and frailty—the transience of life. The vulnerability at each stage of transformation, from a worm to a cocoon, only to turn into something that was just as feeble and helpless. Butterflies, to him, represented weakness. Weaknesses that he himself had, which was why he hated them, or at least he used to. But not anymore. What used to be a reflection of his personal grief had become something else, something totally new. Now, he had the greatest affection for these creatures because of what they've come to mean to him.

Wang So, Fourth Prince of Goryeo, stood still at the entrance of the Damiwon, waiting for a certain court lady to appear, while a cool and gentle spring breeze ruffled his hair. He knew he was a bit too early but he just couldn't stay put at the thought that _she_ invited _him_. Today was Hae Soo's day off and she had personally asked him if he could escort her around the marketplace as she looked for new materials to use for her lotions. Being appointed as the head Court Lady of the Damiwon a mere month after King Hyejeong ascended the throne, Hae Soo worked hard to prove herself worthy of such trust. Her new concoctions—creams that smelled like peaches, face pigments that did not fade quickly, masks that brought about a healthy complexion—earned her not only the trust of the king, but the entire palace and the King rewarded her efforts with royally sanctioned days off at the end of each month.

He knew it was a simple request—for him to accompany her on her excursion out of the palace, but it warmed his heart nonetheless. Her days off were the only time when she could be free, if only temporarily, and the fact that she chose to spend it with him, made his heart swell.

 _Freedom._ Butterflies were well known symbols of freedom, and how he wished he could give it to her. Freedom from palace life so that she could unfold her wings and fly as far away and as much as she wanted, and do whatever it was that her heart desired. But he knew he couldn't, and so he hoped and prayed for freedom in her behalf.

The soft sound of her approaching footsteps alerted him to her presence, and he braced himself for the sight that he knew would always take his breath away.

"I apologize for making you wait, Your Highness."

 _Beauty and Elegance._ She will always be beautiful to him—with her big eyes that were as warm as the sun, her comforting and contagious smile, and her beautiful red lips. But the four months she spent being the head court lady at the Damiwon had brought out another facet to her beauty, making her shine more brilliantly in his eyes. A simple but apparent elegance that showed in the gentle dip of her neck as she bowed to him in greeting. Or in the way that she delicately folded her hands in front of her and the carefully measured way she straightened herself to meet his gaze. _Yes._ Like the butterfly, she is beauty and elegance.

"I wasn't waiting long." He replied nonchalantly. He still had to put up air of carelessness even though he had spent most of the morning thinking about her. _He was a prince_ after all and he had appearances to keep up, but Hae Soo smiled knowingly at his false bravado and he eventually gave in and gave her a shy smile.

"Shall we?" he asked cordially, and with her nod of consent, they leisurely made their way towards the town market. They spent the day first part of the day wandering about aimlessly in between the shops, looking through the newest wares and the freshest merchandise. Once the sun sat in the middle of the sky, they decided to eat and found themselves sitting at a small tea house. They sat amiably, across from each other, with her asking him about his studies and how things were in the court and him asking her about what new potion she was concocting next. The moment he asked her that question, however, Hae Soo started to fidget, something that she hasn't done recently, and he became slightly worried.

"That's actually why I asked you to come with me, your Highness." she said shyly, her eyes looking at him apologetically from under her lashes. "I wanted to try and make a better cream for you, one that wouldn't dry out and flake as quickly. So I was hoping you would come with me to the apothecary and the herbalist so we can try on new—"

"So you mean to say, you invited me to go with you not because you wanted to spend time with me, but because you needed me for something? I am actually truly offended by this." He tried his best to sound appalled and hurt because the way she squirmed was just so adorable.

"No! No! That's not true at all!" she exclaimed, trying to appease him and remedy the situation.

"It's alright! Don't worry. I was only making fun of you. I will let myself be your test subject." He said gently, and she visibly relaxed at this, the worried crease in her eyebrows disappearing and she smiled back at him.

"But, you'll have to let me give you something in return..."

 _Smooch!_

He motioned to take something from his sleeve when he suddenly changed his mind and instead, leaned across their table to give her a quick peck on her lips. His attack obviously worked as she remained startled and frozen on the spot. He took advantage of her momentary confusion by paying for the bill and starting to leave. As he slowly walked away, he counted to three and waited for her to recover and come running at him, shaking her tiny fists at him while making threats—slightly alarming but adorably, harmless threats. And sure enough, at the count of three, she was already at his side, reminding him of his promise to ask for permission and threatening to never invite him out again. He started to lengthen his strides and she had to run to keep up with him, which made for an amusing scene. He laughed and promised that he wouldn't do it again while trying to evade her as her hands tried to hit him but failing spectacularly. They were attracting a bit of attention, but he didn't mind. As long as he can take her mind off of work and enjoy herself for a little bit then that was good enough for him.

They reached the apothecary and the herbalist with their breaths coming out in puffs, but laughing nonetheless. After he had straightened up and uttered a decent apology, he let himself be dragged into the shop and have his face be her canvass. As she applied a new shade of cream onto his scar, he looked at her face and smiled. She had brought so much into his life. She had given him freedom from the horrid facial deformity that he had tried to hide for so long, and even added a bit of beauty and elegance to his otherwise abhorrent face. But what he was most grateful for was the _joy and the warmth_ that her mere presence gave him. His life had been one big prison of misery. He had been trapped in a cocoon of lies and treachery, of rejection and hate, of sadness and loneliness which he fought so hard to break free from but was unable to do so until a beautiful butterfly emerged from her own shell and showed him the beauty and strength that came from a painful transformation.

When he asked the jeweler to fashion the hairpin according to his design, he only thought to use the butterfly to signify her beauty and elegance. In hindsight, it was a shallow and selfish representation of her because there was more to her than just her looks. Although she has always been and always will be beautiful to him, her determination to break free from the chrysalis of her painful past, the patience and quiet strength with which she endured the transformation from noble woman, to a water maid and then finally to a respected court lady were all characteristics that would well represent the butterfly on her hairpin. A hairpin that he had been carrying around for precisely one year and four months.

"There, all done!" Hae Soo said as she brushed off the excess powder from his face. She handed him a mirror so he could look at her handiwork.

"I see no difference." he said with a shrug.

"Would you like to see a more obvious difference, your Highness?" she replied with one fist on her hips while the other dangled dangerously close to his face.

"Can I pay for these her materials now?" he asked the merchant while giving Soo a sheepish smile.

It was nearly dusk when they made it back to the palace. The sky was already painted red and night blue with wisps of white clouds and the brightest stars have already begun to twinkle in the distance. He carried her purchases for her and helped her bring them inside the Damiwon.

"Your Highness, please let me carry those! What kind of example will I be setting if I let the other court ladies see that I'm using a prince as a workman?"

"You were hitting a prince earlier. _In public and_ _in broad daylight_ nonetheless, and you're worried about this?" She rolled her eyes at him for a moment but held her protests at that and proceeded to make tea for him with her usual smile as he placed the basket on the table.

"By the way," she started while placing a warm cup of fresh leaf tea in front of him. _His favorite._ "You said I have to let you give me something in return. You were reaching for something in your sleeve before you pulled that sneaky stunt of yours."

Days like this, when it was just the two of them, walking, teasing each other, without having to worry about the dangers of palace life, were days that he wanted to have for the rest of his life. Having her around gave him hope for a peaceful future, where his heart can be at ease. _Hope_ that he can live without nightmares about his past. Hope that he can be forgiven for his crimes. Hope that someday, this woman, this beautiful butterfly, can give him the one thing that he had wanted from her all along. Her heart. But he knew, it was too early for her, too soon. But he can wait. Now that she was here, he was willing wait for her, no matter how long it took, because he had hope, that even his one sided love can transform into something more between the two of them. As he carefully felt the hairpin, safely nestled inside his sleeve and turned to look at her.

"It was nothing. Just part of, as you say, my _stunt,_ whatever a stunt is." his eyes twinkled at her teasingly.

Today was not the day to give it back to her. _Not yet…  
_

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 _Reviews are highly appreciated._


	2. Chapter 2

Butterflies, Flower Buds and Peonies:

Red: Symbolizes good luck, protects from misfortune, joyful relationship

Five: Symbolizes good luck, happiness, longevity and prosperity

Buds: Symbolizes youth and hope

Author's Note: Hello everyone! Thanks to the readers who took the time to review the previous chapter! I am so glad you enjoyed it! This chapter will look at the beads on the pin which I will assume to be five, red peony buds. I'm taking liberty with the interpretation because the drama never explained the hairpin in detail. So is extremely intelligent yet deeply sentimental which is why there's both a logical and emotional explanation regarding the details of Hae Soo's hairpin.

Again, I LAMENT the fact that Wang So's mental prowess wasn't fully showcased in the drama. I read that there were deleted scenes about him proving himself to be one of, if not, the smartest among his brothers despite not being tutored by the royal teachers. There was also a cut scene where Wook complimented him on his political savvy. Because of that, we know that he can compete with Wook, tit-for-tat when it comes to intelligence, but again…THE EDITING!

Frustrations aside, please enjoy reading and don't forget to review!

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He was bad luck. Or so he'd been told his entire life. He brought nothing but misery and pain to people whose only misfortune was crossing paths with him. Nothing good came out of being related to him either—both his birth mother and adoptive mother certainly thought so, and made the point of reminding him constantly, spreading rumours that he brought ruin and destruction with his wild, brutish ways. Concubine Kang fervently believed him to be the incarnation of evil itself, that she gave him his infamous nickname: The Wolf-Dog, as a warning for the people of Shinju to keep their distance from him, and it spread like wildfire throughout Goryeo.

He certainly didn't believe in such things as luck or fate. For a man who had been told that he had the star of a king, but was treated no better than a slave, things such as destiny and fate were nothing but tall tales, told to unsuspecting simpletons to either frighten them into submission, or frighten them into giving money to schemers who claim to have powers to challenge and change fate.

But sometimes, he had to wonder, whether or not he was bad luck—a harbinger of misfortune. When he had to kill even the helpless wolf pups in the wolf den in order to survive, or when he had to destroy the white birch tree that he had named, "befriended," and worked so hard to grow, he had to wonder if destruction and pain was all he was meant for.

At times like those, he really, truly feared that he was cursed. Cursed to break and harm anything or anyone he dared to form a bond with. And so he feared for _her_ , because he knew his attachment and feelings for her were so deep, so profound, he would never be able to let go. And binding himself to her would bring about her destruction if he truly was saddled with such a cruel fate.

And so he moved to take precautions, just in case.

When he first drew the design for her hairpin, he decided that he would try to incorporate every element that was supposed to ward off ill omens and protect her from tragedy, but at the same time, express his most important sentiments. While the butterfly would represent her _beauty_ , he needed something that would represent his affections, his hopes, and his desires.

After settling on a blue butterfly, he continued his draft by writing down the number _five_. Five was believed to be a symbol of good luck and balance, as it was located in the middle of zero and ten. He thought that balance would be a good omen for the two of them, balance between his sadness and her happiness, his scowls and her smiles, his strength and her gentleness, his darkness and her light.

" _The colour has to be red."_ he thought as he started to draw. He knew that the colour red was said to signify not only good luck, but also a joyful relationship. A relationship that, unfortunately for him, has yet to begin, which frustrated him. He wanted a symbol that would deliver the message in a subtle but unmistakeable manner. He wanted her to know, without a shadow of a doubt, not just of his desire to protect her from harm and give her happiness, but also his hope that she would someday reciprocate his love and that their relationship will blossom into a joyous one.

 _Blossom_. The word lingered in his thoughts and in his mind's eye, the image of a flower bud— a tiny, unremarkable thing, slowly opened and turned into something special and exquisite. And then it came to him. Flower buds symbolized hope, showed that there are more wonderful things to come. What better thing to embody his hope than a set of five, red buds. They were to be her charm against misfortune and a reminder of his intentions and a symbol of his hope.

It was ironic, however, that the precarious situation they were currently in, was due to five, red, peony buds.

"You shouldn't have reached for them!" So barked angrily, his temper starting to get the better of him as he struggled to hold on to both Hae Soo and the trunk of a pine tree to prevent them from slipping further and falling into the ravine below.

"Your Highness!" she whined, equally exasperated, while holding onto him for dear life. "I already apologized. Twice, in case you'd already forgotten! And I will apologize again _, later_ ," she emphasized as his eyebrows rose expectantly, waiting to hear another apology. " _LATER_ , if we survive this. So let's just try our best and climb back up, please?"

So could only huff in response as he tried to shift her weight and his so that they were both leaning on the tree trunk, which itself was on a slant, perpendicular to the slope, with its roots barely clinging onto the side of the ravine. It was supposed to have been a relaxing day, spent in each other's amiable company, not bickering at each other while trying to avoid falling into a precipice and dying a most painful death.

This day was a reward from his brother, the king. Hae Soo's day off wasn't for another week, but King Hyejeong had decided to grant him a favour in return for securing the allegiance of the Shinju Kangs. Wang So, who left the palace to take control of his adopted mother's clan for the sake of gaining another ally for the king, had been deprived of the one thing he wanted most for more than one week, and he knew immediately what his request would be.

" _Please give Court Lady Hae Soo an extra day off."_ he had replied immediately. The king gave So a kind and knowing smile, and generously granted Hae Soo not only one day but two days off, figuring that his fourth brother wanted to spend some quality time with the object of his affections.

Upon gaining the king's approval, So had planned tirelessly, preparing everything in order for their day to be perfect. The season was about to turn from spring to summer, and apart from the last spring rains that recently came over Songak, it was the perfect time and weather to see peonies beginning to bloom, and he also thought it would be a good opportunity to return the hairpin to her. And so he planned for them to walk through the road where the largest and the most beautiful peonies had begun to bud, which happened to be the same path that led to the spot where he first felt comfortable with her, where he first found her company enjoyable and not bothersome—the small shrine up the hill, overlooking the palace.

At the end of the week, after the spring rains had stopped, he surprised her, barging into the Damiwon and telling her to change from her _sanggoong_ robes to something more appropriate for a little bit of a walk. She protested at first, reprimanding him and telling him that even a prince couldn't just whisk a court lady away, but after showing her the king's decree, she ordered the senior court ladies, who were obviously amused at the exchange between them to stop smiling and carry on with their duties, while she turned to the direction of her room, wearing a smile of her own.

"Where are we going, your Highness?" she asked as she walked beside him, taking deep breaths and enjoying the cool air. She changed into a beautiful _hanbok_ of pastel yellow and sky blue, similar to the one she wore three years ago, when she walked up this same road in order to bring him his lunch. The only difference being, he made sure that he was the one carrying the heavy, food laden basket this time around.

"You'll see." was his only reply, not wanting to spoil the surprise. She hardly went out of the palace so he knew that this was her first time walking along this path in the springtime. He wanted to see the look of surprise and wonder on her face the moment she saw the flowers. As he courteously took her hand to help her climb over a log that had fallen over the path, the scent of flowers, soft, sweet, and alluring, wafted over to them and Hae Soo breathed it all in, closing her eyes, while trying to figure out what it was that was giving off such a wonderful aroma.

"Peonies. You told me once that they were your favourite." he softly whispered in her ear and her eyes flew open. She turned to face him, a look of slight confusion crossing her beautiful features.

"The peonies in the palace haven't even bloomed yet! Did you bring me here because you knew that the peonies here would start to bud and bloom earlier than anywhere else?" she asked, and he nodded in response. Her face lit with a radiant smile—a smile of happiness and gratitude, and then, it softened to something else, something that he hadn't seen in her smiles before, something that he couldn't quite place. As they continued to stare at each other, his breath caught in his throat, and everything seemed to freeze in place as he continued to take her in, her gentle eyes, her slightly flushed cheeks, and her finally her lips.

' _They look so red, so soft, so close to kiss.'_ he thought as his body started to lean forward, aiming to do exactly as his mind wanted.

But then, she blinked once, then twice, and the trance was broken. Whether it was out of gratitude or to apologize for not letting him go through with the kiss, he didn't know, but she gave his hand a gentle squeeze before running towards the nearest cluster of flowers.

He felt himself heave a sigh of disappointment, but knew that he had to respect her wishes and wait for the moment that she would truly give herself to him without holding anything back, even her lips. And so he contented himself with watching her as she happily moved from shrub to shrub, flitting like a butterfly, admiring the flowers that she so loved.

"Don't go too near the edge. You might fall." he warned gently.

"Did you know," she started, examining a small red bud in her hand. "That peonies can be used to help calm a person's mind, aid blood circulation and lower blood pressure? Especially the tea made from its flower buds. They also say that tea made from five buds, plucked from the same stem is supposed to bring good luck. It would be nice to find some." She looked around, trying to find a stem with five buds. Her eyes suddenly twinkled with excitement as she ran across to the opposite side of the road.

"Soo-yah! Wait! Don't—!"

It happened suddenly, and his instincts kicked into high gear. He saw everything, as if in slow motion: how she reached for the flowers, standing on her toes, while the soil—loose from all the water that the spring rains had brought in—suddenly crumbled at her unexpected weight and gave way, both the peony shrub and Hae Soo quickly following and tumbling along in its wake.

He dropped the food basket and ran, adrenaline pushing him to jump after her. He slid down the slope, caught her by the waist, and pulled her to his side, while his other arm tried to grab onto whatever he could to stop their descent into the ravine below. He managed to grab hold of some the forest foliage and slow their momentum before slamming onto the trunk of the pine tree that they were currently leaning on.

After he'd firmly secured her against his chest, he took a while to reign in his temper, breathe a sigh of relief at the fact that he managed to catch her, and then proceeded to clear his mind, to take stock of the situation and to figure out a way to climb back up. It wasn't until after a few more minutes that he noticed her silence.

"What's wrong?" he asked, worry and anxiety flooding him again as he looked down at her small form. "Are you hurt anywhere? Soo-yah, tell me!" He tried to pull her away from him to check for any injuries, but she buried her head against his chest while her hands clutched at the front of his robes tightly and refused to look at him.

"I'm sorry." she said quietly, her hands on his _hanbok_ tightening even more. "I wanted to make you tea from five, red peony buds. That's why I reached for them right away when I saw them. I'm so sorry."

He knew she felt guilty for what had just happened and he wanted to say that everything was going to be okay, but she seemed like she had more on her mind and so he chose to remain still and listened. "You're always saving me. Right from the moment we met, you've always protected and saved me. And you always get into trouble for doing so." She made a small sniffling noise, and his hand automatically moved, gently patting her back, a small gesture of comfort.

"It's alright. I do it because I want to. I do it because you're my person." he told her simply, because it was the truth, plain and simple.

She gave a small laugh at that, but the sadness in her voice was still noticeable. "I haven't even given you anything in return. Even today. All you wanted was my company. You put so much effort to this date, from the food, the place, the flowers and you even asked his Majesty to give me another day off and I managed to ruin it before it even started. Sometimes, I think that I bring you nothing but bad luck, your Highness. I wanted to bring you some luck, for once, to repay you for all your help and kindness. That's why I reached for the peony buds, but look where it got us."

He tried to suppress a laugh but couldn't. He knew she was going to misunderstand and think that he was making light of her feelings—and she did, judging by the way her head quickly whipped up to give him a cold, teary glare. But he wasn't making light of it at all. He knew he had to start explaining soon, otherwise, he might end up at the bottom of the ravine.

"I'm sorry! I'm not making fun of you. I just find it funny that you would think something like that. That you think that you bring me bad luck!" Her glare remained, not quite satisfied with his apology, but it softened a bit, and she looked slightly curious as to exactly what he meant and so he let out a sigh, looked up to the sky and continued.

"I'm the 'Wolf Dog.' I bring fear, destruction and death wherever I go. The wolf is an omen of misfortune and people thought it apt for me. My mother, my adopted mother, and up until the rain ritual two years ago, the people of Goryeo all believed that I bring no good thing in this world. I was alone. Isolated. Treated with disdain and fear. No one dared to reach out to me. Although I knew in my mind that what they said were only suppositions—superstitions at best, but at times, my heart was tempted to believe them. I started to believe that I brought bad luck, and I was the one most affected by it. I started to believe that no good thing will ever come to me. But you're here now, aren't you?"

His gaze moved from the sky and down to her face, the soft glow of sunset light casting a beautiful light on her face. He smiled down at her, before pulling her closer and settling his chin atop her head.

"You brought so many good things into my life. Laughter, happiness, contentment, hope." _'And love'_ he wanted to add, but held his tongue, knowing that it was not yet time.

"You even gave me a new face." He felt her laugh and he gave a light chuckle of his own. "So please don't say that you bring me bad luck. You're my person, the one who brought good things in my life. You're my good luck charm. If anything, I should be the one making you tea from those flower buds. I should give you as many omens of good fortune as I can, just to compensate for my bad one."

She moved her head to look at him, giving him another grateful smile. He then suddenly remembered the other purpose of this day. _'If anything else, I should at least give her the hairpin back.'_ he thought as he removed his right hand from her shoulders to take the hairpin from out of his belt.

"Soo-yah. I—."

"Shh! Did you hear that?"

He held still and strained to hear what she was hearing. And then, they heard a voice, a very familiar one at that.

"Hyung-nim! So hyung-nim! Hae Soo!"

They looked at each other and immediately recognized the voice as Baek Ah's, who sounded extremely worried. So had asked his younger brother for a favour and was waiting at the shrine for them; he was supposed to provide some music while the two of them sat and ate together. They both started to shout, calling his name to catch his attention. Baek Ah's footsteps neared as he followed their voices until he reached the spot from where they fell and peered from the edge of the road, his eyes widening when he realized the severity of the situation.

"Hyung-nim! Soo-yah! This was supposed to be a pleasant walk! How in the world did you two end up there?" he asked, incredulous.

"It's a long story! Just get us out of here!"

"Guards!" he shouted, waving at the platoon of guards he had brought with him in his search for them. "They're over here! Bring me a rope! Somebody hurry and bring me a rope!" Baek Ah commanded.

Wang So and Hae Soo looked at each other and smiled, relief washing over them as the palace guards accompanying Baek Ah quickly lowered a thick rope. So caught it and immediately started to tie a knot, securing it around Soo's waist. He decided that her safety was his priority at the moment and that returning her hairpin could wait, knowing that there will be another, far better opportunity to give it back to her. As he tugged at the rope one last time to make sure that it would hold her weight, he asked her something that had been bothering him the entire time they were stuck against the tree.

"By the way, Soo-yah. What's this thing you called a date?"

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How was it? A bit OOC perhaps? But because they communicated so well, even when they were upset at each other, I really think conversations like this happened between them. Let me know what you think! R&R!


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